Lasting Memories
by Cetsibius
Summary: Naruto has killed his best friend at the valley of the end, lived through two world wars,and must deal with countless more problems as he fight to survive and keep the peace. Starts with Naruhina,will change. Will contain dark themes, sex, death, sadness
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to my first story. Well, kinda. I wrote under a different name for a while, but that doesn't matter. This story will be a very dark one. Death, sadness, sex, blood, betrayal and anger will reside in these words. It is my original story, and will take place in an alternate Thingy. In this story, naruto and the remaining rookie 9 are 21. There is no official pairings but naruhina will be the starting couple. However, it very well may change as I have grown bored of her. Oh well. Who knows how it will turn out. I hope you enjoy this work. -Cetsibius

(And I own none of the characters.)

Sasuke fell over backwards, blood trailing from the deep wound that adorned his chest. With a dull thud he collided with the cold and damp ground. Blood leaked from his mouth as he clutched at his chest, desperately trying to lessen his pain. His vision shaky, he looked wildly for his opponent. His blurred vision fell upon a figure with blonde hair and deep red chakra seemingly pouring from his body. The figure was hunched over, his hand holding the left side of his face. Sasuke felt a wave of emotion wash over him. He knew he was dying. He Gathered his small amount of remaining strength and tried to formulate a sentence.

"N-naruto... You have become strong... I can't believe I lost to you. I w-was supposed to be the best in our generation, but here I lie bested by the supposed worst in the class. How pathetic." He groaned, forcing thwe words from his pained mouth.

"Don't talk Sasuke. I need to get you help. I'm not letting off the hook quite yet, I made a promise." Naruto replied, slowly rising to his feet.

"I-Idiot... Im about to die. T-that l-last hit left a bit a hole in my chest. Listen, because I can't hold on for much longer." Sasuke whispered, his voice slowly lessening.

"Whoa, remember who your talking too. I won't let you die Sasuke, were going back to the village." Naruto replied, limping over to his fallen teammate.

The last Uchiha grimaced. "shut up you idiot... Take my eye, and... and... Kill... Itachi. Kill him for me. I need you to do this for me Naruto...". Naruto stared at his rival, the realizing what the fallen leaf Shinobi was asking.

"I can't do that Sasuke, you know I could never take your eye. Besides, I'm taking you back to the leaf right now. You'll need those eyes to defeat itachi one day." Replied Naruto, tears beginning to roll down his face as he clutched his best friend. "Please Sasuke, hold on for a little while longer. Someday, were going to defeat Itachi and Orochimaru... I need you to hang on for just a few more moments so I can get us back." He continued, trying desperately to comfort himself and his bleeding friend.

"Fool... Grow up won't you? I'm dying. Take my eye. I know you lost one during my attack.". He suddenly looked past Naruto at something behind him. "Kakashi, make sure he does what I ask, will you?" He forced through the coughs. Naruto spun his head to look at his teacher who nodded solemnly staring at his to prized students. Sasuke smirked and exhaled a slow and weak breath. He stared at the sky for a moment before his eyes glazed over. Naruto stared at the Uchiha for moment before the realization of what just happened set in. His best friend, teammate and brother just died in front of him, due to his own attack. Red blood coated the jinchiruuki as he fell over his lost rival, tears streaking down his face.

Naruto sighed and looked up to the sky in recollection. That was 8 years ago. That moment of pure sadness still clung to his heart after all these years. He closed his deep blue eye and took a deep breath. Even after all the events that had transpired recently, his mind constantly drifted back to that day. He still had not been able to kill or even locate Itachi since the 4th war. Opening his eye, he gazed upon Konoha from on top of his father's head. Even though it was the same place as it was back then, it seemed empty. So many were missing from its walls. The last war had been a real blow. Of the original Konoha 12, only 6 remained. In the space of 6 years, there had been two world wars. The face of the world was altered. The sand had been nearly eradicated, reduced to several lowly groups of bandits who patrolled and preyed on unsuspecting travelers in the desert where Suna once was located. So many had lost their lives. But now, the world could hopefully enjoy some lasting peace. He once again sighed and prepared to return to the village. He was stopped when the sound of footsteps slowly approaching his vantage point reached his ears.

"Naruto-kun! I've been looking for you for half an hour!" Yelled his fiancé, Hinata Hyuga. He smiled and wrapped her in a deep embrace. She returned the greeting. "What are you doing up here? I want to go out for dinner."she complained laughing. Naruto's eye widened. He had not realized he was gone so long.

"I was just thinking. Lost track of time I guess. Sorry about that Hinata-chan." He replied, scratching the back of his head. She laughed and began to pull him down the mountain laughing. He stared at the woman he was about to marry, in a week to be exact. She was so different from back when they were kids. It seemed that after he agreed to go on a date with her, her whole personality changed. The stutter was gone, and she gained ridiculous amounts of self-confidence. He was glad that he was able to help her with her troubles. She was happy, and that's all that mattered. The two continued down the mountain, hand in hand enjoying the view and each other.

"So naruto-kun, I was thinking of sushi. Sound okay?". She asked turning her gaze towards him. He opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted. In an instant they were surrounded by 3 Anbu agents. The one front of the couple spoke first.

"Naruto-San, Hokage-sama has requested you presence. Report immediately." The female Anbu reported. As quickly as they appeared, they were gone, leaving a pouting Hinata and an annoyed Naruto. He kissed her on the cheek and disappeared as well. Hinata sighed and continued to walk down towards the village. Her thoughts turned to her fiancé, the man that she had chased since she was a small, weak and timid child. She owed much of who she was today. He had helped her through the deaths of her team and her family. She shook her head and smiled. Where would she be without him?

Naruto knocked on the door. A gruff voice replied, "Enter." Naruto obliged and entered the office, closing the large door behind him.

"You wanted me Danzo-sama?" Naruto said, showing no emotion. The aging man raised his head to address the young jounin.

"Indeed Uzamaki. I have a mission for you. An assassination to be exact. I Need the best ninja for this mission and decided it was you." The man responded, meeting the younger man's eyes. He eye not fail to notice the slight waver in the eyes of the Nine tails jinchiruuki. "However, that's not the only reason for me selecting you. After the unfortunate loss of Kakashi..." Naruto's eyes darkened instantly. He clenched his jaw and his knuckles. Danzo paused, watching the young shinobi. "I understand your sentiments; but wipe these useless feelings from your mind. A shinobi has no use for them. Back to the topic on hand, I need you to copy a certain jutsu that your target uses. The exact name of the technique is unknown, but it is said to be some kind of wind technique in-which the user coats his hand in some kind of vortex of wind. I may be similar to the rasengan, which may indicate that scrolls of the 4th have been compromised. She is supposedly very strong and you must use the upmost caution eliminating her." the Hokage finished, awaiting the reply of the jounin in front of him. Naruto soaked in the details of the mission.

"Understood Danzo-sama." The blonde replied, giving the older man a short bow. Danzo nodded in satisfaction and handed a scroll to Naruto.

"This contains all know information on her. You leave tomorrow morning before sunrise. You are dismissed." The old hawk ordered, looking away from the shinobi, returning his focus to his work. Naruto gave another short bow, face displaying no emotion and left the office. He walked down the hall and let his face harden in anger. He really did hate that man. Danzo had practically caused two world wars. He was responsible for the deaths of so many, it would be absurd to try and count. But most of all, it was on Danzo's orders that Kakashi sacrifice himself while he fled during the 5th ninja world war. But he was still the Hokage. Naruto scoffed and left the tower in a fast walk, desperate to leave that place. He nearly jogged down the street, towards his apartment. Ignoring the glances and looks he received from the grateful villagers, he climbed the stairs and entered his home. He slammed he door behind him and leaned against it, closing his uncovered eye. _Kakashi-sensei... I wish you were still around, it's hard doing this with out your advice._ Naruto thought to himself, letting out an annoyed sigh. Naruto looked out the window and noticed it was completely dark. A glance at the clock told him it was after midnight. Only six more days until the wedding. He let out another sigh, wondering if could really marry. Would he make a good husband? Maybe even a father? Would he always love Hinata? He shook the pesky thoughts from his head. He would have to stay focused on his upcoming mission. First, he would grab a quick couple hours of sleep. He smiled. Sleep sounded great right about now. He shrugged off his jounin vest, and his sandals. He didn't even bother to remove his black long sleeved shirt and black pants. He laid in his bed and closed his eyes. But the gods did not favor him tonight it seemed as a knock came at the door. He face-palmed and growled. He kicked off the covers and walked over to his door. He pulled it open to find a happy blue-haired girl.

"Naruto-kun! Sorry about arriving so late, but I noticed you leaving the homage tower and I wanted to know what was going on." Hinata stated, looking at her fiancé anxiously. He sighed rubbing his face.

"I have a mission tomorrow. Assassination. I'll be gone for two days." He responded, gesturing for her to come in. She responded by enveloping him in a deep kiss.

"But our wedding is in 6 days! How could he do that?" she yelled after breaking the kiss. Naruto began to respond but she locked lips, silencing him. She moaned into the kiss, hands sliding under his shirt and down to his crotch. She began to rub his member gently, trying to get him excited. After a moments consideration from Naruto, he pushed her away.

"You just wanted to have fun didn't you? Well, not tonight. I need to get up early for the mission." he explained scratching the back of his head, an apologetic smile etched of his face. She gave him a pouting face and began to unbutton her shirt, exposing her generous cleavage covered by a sexy black bra. Naruto sighed in defeat. Tonight was not going to be very restful for him.

He awoke the next morning with a naked Hyuga Heiress clinging to his chest. Even though she was conservative in the way that she wanted to save her virginity for after the wedding, she had no issue with doing "other" things with him. He shook his head and strained his neck to look at the clock by his bed. 3:30. He needed to get going. He quickly pulled his jounin attire on, making sure he had all of his necessary equipment. He then skimmed the scroll that Danzo said contained all the relevant data on his target.

_Target Name: Satonaka Kira (Female)_

_Target Age: estimated17-20_

_Affiliation: Cloud (missing-nin) Most likely S-rank_

_Last known area: 12 miles north of Konoha, small encampment beside sakona waterfall_

_Known affiliates: none, alone in encampment_

_Description: approximately 5'9; long red hair nothing else is known_

"This should be interesting." Naruto mumbled to himself. He was curious how she could have something like the Rasengan. He closed the scroll and stuffed it into his pack. Without another word he left the sleeping girl in his bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome to the second chapter of lasting memories. I hope you enjoy reading it, because I had a small amount of fun writing it. Oh well, enjoy. -Cetsibius

Naruto sped from branch to branch, heading towards his targets last known location. He began to wonder how he would attempt to engage the girl. Stealth was of course necessary, but it mattered little if she was a sensory ninja. However, he would notice her first. In fact he had already sensed her thanks to his Kyubi chakra mode. She was less than 2 miles away now. He would have to be cautious. He could not risk diving straight into a trap. The first step will be to send in multiple shadow clones upon reaching a distance of a half-mile. From there, depending on that outcome of each clone, he would move in, using his kyubi cloak.

Half an hour later, Naruto stopped, landing on a moss covered branch high above the ground. He looked around for any chakra signatures and found none. He was more or less half a mile away. He checked her position and found it to be unchanged. He then proceeded to clasp his hands together, forming the sign for his clones. 10 clones came into existence all around the original. He have then a nod, and they disappeared.

Kira Satonaka rose from her sitting position. From the one intruder, there were now 10 heading her way, with one staying behind. _'Bushins.' _She thought to herself. _'Now are they regular bushins, or a more advanced form…' _She wondered, running scenarios and strategies through her mind. She ruled out attacking them head on, in case they were a summon or just different people. It was too risky even if she was much stronger. She had only been in this encampment for 4 days. How could anyone have found her so quickly? Were they cloud shinobi, or someone else? Questions continue to fly through her head as she felt them grow closer and closer. _'Whatever they are, they are incredibly fast'_ She thought as she realized they were less than 200 feet away. They showed no signs of stopping. _'A full-on rush eh? Must be clones.' _She figured, forming many hand signs. _'Let's see if I can take them all out.'_ She thought with a small chuckle. She felt them reach 50 feet away. Seeing no signs of slowing, she completed her signs.

"Fuuton: Fujin no kaze." She growled, as a force of wind blew out in all directions. As it exploded out wards, it began tearing up plants and dirt. The waterfall next to her was temporarily nonexistent as the water was pushed away. It hit the tree line, breaking bark and the thickest of branches. The clones had nowhere to go and were all consumed by the gale. She felt each presence disappear as her jutsu faded, leaving the original about half a mile away. She smirked, giving herself a mental pat on the back. She focused her attention on the single signature.

Naruto was impressed. In a single jutsu, she was able to wipe out every clone. That wind jutsu was a high level one. It may not be able to kill, but being nearly unavoidable in some situations, it could be the difference between life and death in some cases. He smiled. He might have some fun yet. He formed his Kyubi cloak and took off at full speed hoping to catch the girl off guard.

Complete astonishment and confusion filled Kira as the intruder began to move towards her at speeds that were completely absurd. _'Only one person could possibly be this fast… Raikage A. Why would he be sent out alone? Could it possibly be anyone else?' _She wondered, watching the figure close the distance rapidly. She had to act quickly. This was no ordinary for heading for her. If it was indeed the Raikage, this could be the end of her. Suddenly he was nearly upon her. However, he suddenly stopped, just behind the cover of the bush.

"Satonake Kira I presume?" Came the voice. It was a male, seemed older that her. But it was definitely not the raikage. A form of relief swept over her, but she did not lessen her guard. This individual was at least as fast as her previous lord. He was no push over.

"What of it asshole?" She responded. The voice stayed silent for a moment before speaking up.

"That's no way to greet a visitor is it? Or is that the cloud way? Or are you just a bitch?" He replied, messing with her.

"Ass-fucking-hole! Bring it if you're so cool!" She said, losing her calm. This guy was the oddest shinobi she had ever encountered.

"Fair enough." Whispered a voice right behind her. He was so close, his breath made her neck shiver. Fear enveloped her as she attempted to spin and jump away. Upon doing a 180 away from that spot, she saw nothing where he was supposed to be. She felt him already on her side. Still in the air, she cocked a fist while repositioning herself mid-flight. Her blow was easily blocked by what seemed to be a man engulfed in some kind of orange flame. The figure easily countered with a blindingly fast kick, aiming for her side. She was barely able to intercept the kick with both of her arms, forming an 'x' in front of her. The blow collided with her guard, sending her a different direction. She skidded to a halt 10 feet from where she was. She saw the man land on the ground. She got a better view of her opponent. He was a man of around 20, with an orange flame like chakra coating his body. On the cloak there were black markings that covered his torso and shoulders. Moments later, the cloak disappeared. It left a shinobi wearing a leaf headband that covered his right eye, with long blonde hair that reached almost to his shoulder. His clothing consisted of the usual leaf jounin attire, a vest and black shirts and pants. Realization set filled her mind.

"Uzamaki Naruto, correct?" She questioned, face becoming blank from emotion.

"It's a pleasure, Miss Satonaka." He replied, giving a bow. He was incredibly annoying to her.

" Are you this annoying to all the people you try and kill?" She growled, not caring about the answer as she formed hand several hand signs. "Futon: Kamikaze!" She shouted, as huge gusts of wind quickly became small tornados that surrounded Naruto. The jounin quickly jumped from the middle, not wanting to become completely surrounded. The tornados thrashed violently by him, seemingly following him. He continually jumped backwards , narrowly avoiding each twister. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise behind him. The girl was merely feet away, holding what seemed to be a tornado in her hand. Except they spun in completely random directions.

"Futon: Tatsumaki burēdo!" She growled, thrusting her hand towards him. _'Eat this prick!' _She mentally screamed, as the jutsu slammed into his back. The small tornado seemingly exploded into several blades, cutting the man's back in several deep wounds. The victorious feeling inside her was diminished as he 'poofed' from existence. '_Damn, another shadow clone. When did he pull that off?' _She contemplated, searching wildly for the real one. She focused on the jounin, some 20 feet way, staring at her with both eyes. Her own fell upon his right, the sharingan. One of only three left in the world now that the other non Uchiha and Madara were dead.

"Interesting technique. It closely resembles one of my own techniques, but I can tell they are not related. I suppose that unsurprising. Now, let's see whose is better." He chimed, smirking. He held out his hand where a swirling mixture of both chakra and wind met. Her eyes hardened and she began to form her own. Once both were prepared, they dashed at each other, jutsu cocked and ready to strike.

"Futon: Rasengan!" Naruto roared, forcing the jutsu at her.

"Futon: Tatsumaki burēdo!" Kira responded, equally as loud, jutsu swirling in her hand. The two met with incredible force. Naruto, however was not prepared for what happened. The blades caused by her jutsu easily swirled around his attack, colliding with his arm and torso. He was thrown back, blood flowing from him. Thankfully, they seemed to have been weakened by his own attack, but they were deep none the less. He mentally slapped himself.

"Impressive. You are able to control the blades of wind even after they leave your hand. You are full of surprises." He breathed, climbing to his feet. She gaped at him. Even if the blades were not full power, it was incredible that he could just brush them off was incredible. Her face quickly hardened before readying herself for another attack.

"From now on, I'm going all out. You are too strong to take any kind of risk on." His left eye changed as it took on the form of a toad's eye. She stared in odd confusion at his two eyes. He then charged with impressive speed. He reached her and threw a punch. She quickly avoided it and tried to counter. But she was unable as he had already aimed a kick at where she was dodging to. _'That Sharingan is pretty impressive.' _She grumbled internally. She narrowly moved from its reach, but only by an inch. She once again tried a counter kick, but was interrupted by a sharp pain from the side of her ribcage. As if she was kicked, she stumbled backwards. Confusion filled her head. _'I know I dodged that kick, what the hell just happened?' _She thought, trying to locate the blows source. She was unable as he was right back on her. His punch aimed right at her gut. She bent her stomach out of his reach while forming hand signs for another jutsu. She watched his fist closely. It was still 5 inches away, which meant she would get the jutsu off in time. Her eyes widened when her stomach began to implode in a small area, as if being punched. Pain racked her as she was sent back. Within a fraction of a second, another kick was aimed for the other side of her ribcage. She once again succeeded in dodging the kick, but was met with even more excruciating pain as another invisible blow met its mark. She could feel one off her ribs cracking from the pressure. She felt blood well up in her throat as she quickly form a seal before he could attack again.

"Futon: Fujin no Kaze!" She rasped. Once again, a torrent of wind erupted in all direction, blowing the blonde back. He rolled once and instantly recovered, some 20 feet away from her. She fell to one knee coughing a bit of blood onto the ground, holding the side with her cracked rib.

"H-how… I dodged every attack." She whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"A special type of Taijutsu. It was developed by the great toad sages. I learned it upon becoming a sage. It's called Frog-katas. My body is currently enveloped by natural energy due to sage mode, increasing my range." He explained, figuring she was going to die soon, so it didn't matter if she knew. She still didn't really understand the premise, but it didn't matter. She had to do something or he would kill her. Although only taking three blows, they were stronger than any taijutsu she had ever encountered, save the Raikage. She still had some tricks to use on this bastard. He rushed back in, eager to continue the taijutsu match where would be no competition. She could not allow that.

"Fuuton: Chikyū konagona ni." She whispered, before slamming her hands into the ground. The ground rocked and shook beneath Naruto's feet. He jumped upwards to escape, but he quickly realized his mistake. Wind burst through the rock and sand beneath him, showering him with debris and strong gales of wind. He could feel his body being battered by the combination of elements. But this was only the beginning of the attack. He was forced over 20 feet in the air by the jutsu. Turning over to look at the sky so he was on his back, he was met with the sight of the girl holding the swirling tornado like jutsu in front of her, both arms out straight as if holding something at bay. Naruto growled and hardened his face. He had to do something, or the combination of the forces would tear him apart. He couldn't form a shadow clone to throw him out, because it would instantly be hit by all the surrounding debris.

"Alright then, time try it out." He whispered, beginning to form a Rasengan in his hand. She yelled and let go of the jutsu, the blades moving straight for him. He held out the Rasengan and focused on his perfectly swirling chakra. In an instant he broke the patter, while sending a huge amount of charka toward the sky and his target. The result was an incredible explosion of wind and chakra, storming right at the blades and their user.

"Futon: Rasenbāsuto!" He yelled, the incredible force pushing him against the rising wind beneath him, cutting his back and legs. Kira was astonished at the power of his technique as it easily overpowered her blades, she being unable to alter their path in time. She had no time to dodge as the typhoon like wind and chakra slammed into her. Sending her reeling in the air, body crippled with broken bones and deep lacerations. She tried to scream in pain, but no sound left her open mouth. She fell hard, crashing through braches, colliding with a solid thud on the twisted earth. Her opponent also fell hard, crashing down on his back, the earth ripping winds having subsided. She watched in horror as the demonic man rose to his feet, despite all the wounds he had received. She tried desperately to leave, but was unable to. She could not get up past her knees. She watched in a mix of fear and admiration as her unbelievably strong foe walked over to her. His right eye was once again covered, hiding his red eye as his left was back to a deep blue. A kunai was removed from his pocket and he bent down onto one knee, lifting her gently off the ground. She had given up. He could see it in her dull, lifeless brown eyes. He slid the kunai against her throat, readying himself to end her life. Sadness filled him. He still hated assassinations. She had done nothing to him. Hell they might have fought together at some point during the wars. Now he was about to split her throat. He growled in self-annoyance. He had to do this. He had done it many times before, why couldn't he now? _**'Shes just like you… You don't have to kill her…' **_A deep voice said somewhere within his psyche. _'Shut up fox.' _He grumbled in reply. _**'You don't have to kill her. Take her in. You've defied him before, just make some excuse up. You want to interrogate her on how she developed her technique… Besides, shes hot.' **_Said the kyubi, smirking at its container and partner. Naruto growled. _'I'm engaged asshole.' _He shot back, trying to silence the fox. It seemed to have no effect. _**'I know that Hyuga isn't right for you… And you do too.' **_The fox growled back. Naruto cut the communication and returned to the task at hand. He stared at the missing-nin for a second, kunai still against her throat. She stared at him with lifeless eyes, waiting for the end. He clenched his face and slid the kunai through her throat. Warm blood flowed onto his arm, and to the ground. His face became emotionless as the young girl slid from his arms to the dirt, already soaked in red. He felt a sense of disappointment and pity resonate from his partner.

Hope you enjoyed it. I think it's a better overall chapter, but who knows. Sorry if it's too much fight for you, but I really don't care. Well, I guess I shouldn't go quite that far, but you get the idea. Later- Cetsibius


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome to Lasting Memories chapter 3. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, sorry if it's a little boring. Oh well –Cetsibius

'_personal thoughts'_

'_**Demon or inner self thoughts'**_

Naruto once again flew from tree to tree, trying desperately to block the feelings and thoughts flying through his head. For some reason, this last assassination of the Satonaka girl was really messing with him. _'A couple years ago, I would never have done that… No, don't think like that. It was the mission. I did what had to be done. But… she wasn't guilty of anything other than knowing a certain technique that in ways resembled the rasengan… That's not in the least bit fair.'_ Naruto shook his head, trying to physically shake his thoughts away. _**'Your subconscious has a point though. You had no reason to kill her.' **_ The demon fox said from within another part of his psyche. _'Just shut up for a second will you? I know she wasn't guilty of the alleged crime, but it was an assassination. I had to follow out with my orders.' _He yelled back, trying to get the fox to see his logic. _**'I suppose, but still. Danzo is too ruthless. He's disposing of completely innocent shinobi just because he thinks they have done wrong.'**_ The fox replied, growling in annoyance with the 6th Hokage. _'I can't argue with that. We will just have to hope that is reign will end soon.' _Replied Naruto, racing back towards his village.

Haruno Sakura walked through the halls of the hospital, checking upon patients and her doctors. Being a time of peace, there was relatively little to do compared to what it was like during the war. Now, Danzo seemed to prefer her in the hospitals, considering she hadn't had a mission in 6 months. Not since the last war had ended and the sand had been defeated, reducing them to mere rubble. It had been tough for her and her peers, they had once held very close ties with the sand, but that was before the assassination of Gaara, and the rise of the 6th kazekage who was even more power hungry than Danzo. The kazekage quickly pit the different nations against each other, bringing up old and forgotten issues that had been forgotten or fixed. Soon every nation was fighting against one another. The losses for each nation were great. They were so great that the leaf, cloud, rock and mist all called for a cease fire. The sand opposed and took on the other four countries. The joint force stormed Sunagakure and reduced the city to nothing but a bunch of ruins. The four remaining countries made a pact of peace. The number of casualties is said to be so great that half the shinobi in the world were either dead or missing. It had taken all of these six months for the village to return to at least somewhat normal. But now that there was less to do at the hospitals, Sakura wondered why Danzo kept her from missions. She sighed. _'At least I get to relax.' _She thought to herself.

Danzo read over the mission report from Uzamaki. _'Perfectly executed as always. He's a little to emotional, but he is nearly unmatched in strength these days.'_ He thought, flipping from page to page going over the events of the fight and his opinion on her jutsu. "It is my opinion that The jutsu Futon: Tatsumaki burēdo; has no correlation to the Rasengan." He wrote. _'Good. If the 4__th__'s scrolls had gotten out, it could have sealed the destruction of the leaf.' _He pondered, relief flowing through his body. He looked up at the bloody and bruised jounin in front of his desk.

"You are dismissed to have your wounds treated." He ordered, waving the man away. He bowed quickly and disappeared is a gust of leaves. _'He_ _will need a while to be ready for his next mission. He_ _should be ready to kill Itachi'. _Danzo thought, removing a single sheet of paper from an imformant in the land of Iron. It said that Itachi was currently staying low in the land of iron, trying to form some kind of group. Danzo knew what the last Uchiha was aiming for. Itachi wanted blood. His blood to be exact.

Naruto opened the doors to the hospital, entering the white lobby, looking around for his physician. He could help but smile as he found her behind the front desk, talking to one of her nurses. He began to move towards the pink haired lady, desperately wanting a reprieve from the pain that was left over from the fight. Upon reaching the desk, she still didn't look up at him. He became slightly annoyed.

"Sakura. Would you be so kind as to heal me?" He said smiling at the medical Kunoichi. She looked up and immediately face palmed.

"What did you do now, Naruto?" She responded, beckoning him to follow her. She began to study the numerous gashed that littered his entire body. Some were deep enough to kill a weaker person. But not this one. He had survived things that were so bad; the other medics in the hospital didn't think he was human. She led him to a room where he jumped up on the bed and laid down, letting out a long breath.

"So, who did this to you?" She questioned, beginning on the deeper lacerations that covered his chest.

"A girl by the name of Satonaka Kira. Danzo wanted me to take her out on the fear that she had studied my father's scrolls and learned the rasengan." He replied, closing his eyes.

"Did she?" Was her response, looking at her teammate.

He stayed silent for a moment before responding quietly. "No…" Almost whispering. She could see that it was bothering him.

"Sorry Naruto. But it was a mission. You had no other choice." She responded, sighing.

"I know. I did what I had to do. She was pretty good too. She almost got me as well. I had to try out an entirely new jutsu just to defeat her." He told her, remembering the great fight she gave him. Same old Naruto, giving people credit for almost killing him. He had changed so much, not just physically. He was much more cold and aloof, losing much of the warmth he once displayed. Yet, he still held onto some of his past self. But not much. _'That's what war does, it changes you.' _She thought sadly, remembering the bundle of energy that was once her teammate.

"Well, that's enough healing, the Kyubi can take care of the rest Sakura. Thanks for everything. I'll se ya around." He said, pushing himself off the bed and past her. She watched him head for the door.

"I still don't think you should go through with it. She's not right for you Naruto. You don't have to let her make the decisions for you." She whispered. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"The only reason I will tolerate that comment is because you're my best friend. I want you to give me your opinion on the things I do, mostly because I'm an idiot when it comes to making decision… However, the wedding is no mistake." He replied quietly, turning around to give her the same wide smile he used to. He eyes widened as he walked out. She hadn't seen that smile in years. She never wanted to see that again. The fake smile that he used to cover his true feelings. She once would fall for it, but not now. That mask of his would never fool her again. He was unhappy, even if he didn't know it yet.

Naruto growled. _'How could she? How could she say that? She wasn't right for him? He loved Hinata. He willingly accepted when Hiashi and Hinata asked him to marry hershortly before Hiashi's death. Granted it was a bit odd, but it worked none-the-less.' _He thought, angry with his best friend. His face showing it. _**'She said it because she knows what you're feeling. She knows your feelings better than you do.'**_ The fox replied, chuckling. _'Fuck off fox. She has no idea what she's talking about. I love Hinata. I agreed to marry her.' _Naruto responded, trying to force the fox out of his head. _**'You were forced into that marriage and you know it. You had no intention of marrying her before that day, 6 months ago. You're so kind that you didn't want to shatter the confidence that Hinata had grown. She's a grown lady. She can take care of herself let her down know before you hurt her more later.' **_The fox responded, not giving up and returning to his residence inside Naruto's gut. _'No! I'm going to marry Hinata and spend the rest of my life with her because I love her.' _ Naruto yelled in response, effectively silencing his partner.

Naruto returned home quickly, after running by Ichiraku's for a quick bowl of well deserved ramen. After 3 free bowls of ramen he was ready to sleep. He threw the door open only to find someone already in his bed.

"Naruto-kun, where have you been? I've been so lonely…" Said a certain Hyuga Heiress wearing only a bra and panties. Naruto stopped cold for a second, unsure of what to do. "Only three days now naruto-kun." She said seductively, pushing her considerable cleavage towards him.

His face slowly hardened, not showing any emotion. "Sorry love, but not tonight. I've had a long couple of days." He responded, slowly taking of his blood soaked attire. She simply pouted, and began to move in slow, seductive movements, trying to get her man's will to fold. His face kept the same emotionless expression as he removed his clothing.

"Please Naruto-kun? Im sooooo horny" She cooed, biting her lower lip as she continued with her little 'dance'. He simply shook his head and walked into the bathroom for a shower. Her face dropped its lustful look and she made an 'hmpf' noise before pulling the covers over her body.

Climbing into the shower Naruto was visibly upset._ 'So annoying. I just got back from an assassination and all she cares about is that? Come on. She didn't even ask how it went. Bitch… Whoa, calm down. She was just horny. When you get out, she'll be all over you about the mission. She's no fool.'_ He told himself, laughing at his foolishness. He took his shower in relative peacefulness, and changed into his regular undershirt and boxers for sleep. He opened the door to find his bed empty. He sighed and felt hurt. _**'She's not right for you Naruto.'**_ The fox whispered, feeling his friend's despair. Naruto immediately straightened up. _'She was just tired and wanted her own bed, so shut up fox.' He yelled back. __**'Look foolish child, I'm just trying to show you that the person you are about to marry holds no real feelings in your heart. Your only fooling yourself and her with this bullshit. If you don't break it off now, you'll end up doing something you'll regret.' **_The fox growled, upset that his container was so dense and foolish. Naruto scoffed and blocked the fox. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers around him tightly, waiting for the sweet embrace of sleep.

Sakura walked through the streets on her way back from a graveyard shift at the hospital. She had excused herself a little early. It was now about 2:00 am and no one was seemingly awake. She made her way through the dark street, enjoying the silence. The serenity was broken as a figure appeared out of the darkness, heading towards her direction. After a moment of poor visibility, Sakura recognized the face of Hinata. She mentally cursed. She and Hinata were not on the best of speaking terms at the moment, considering that Hinata knew about her feelings towards her marriage towards Naruto. Their eyes met and Sakura tried to scoot farther away to the other side of the street. However, Hinata changed her course and headed towards her. _Fucking great. Just what I goddamn need right now, another earful from an angry Hyuga..." _She thought angrily, cursing her unluckiness.

"What can I do you for Hinata? I'm not really in the mood for any kind of argument…" She groaned before taking a slap in the face.

"What the hell have you been telling Naruto-kun? Filling his head with lies? He didn't want any of me tonight! I know he had a check up with you after his mission! He always does!" she screamed at the pink haired Kunoichi. Sakura was pissed and confused at the same time. _'This bitch just slapped me! Wait, calm yourself and deal with this rationally.' _She told herself, calming her rage.

"Look Hinata, you know my position on your marriage, but I would never do anything to sabotage you and Naruto. He was probably just tired from his MISSION. Which he _JUST GOT BACK FROM_. Lets act like adults alright?" She replied, struggling to keep her voice and face straight.

"Fuck you Sakura. I know you have feelings for him; well he's mine you whore. And I swear, if you come close to him, I will kill you." She threatened, before storming away in pure anger.

Sakura was thrown into a rage. _'Fucking bitch! Who is she to say I have feelings for him? I haven't felt anything for him since before the 4__th__ war! And that was a crush at best! What am I supposed to do? Let my best-friend make a life-changing mistake? Bitch.' _She yelled internally, storming in the opposite direction, towards her home for some much needed rest. _**'But the girl was right about your feelings.'**_ Her inner self whispered. _'Screw off. I'm in no mood. He's a great man, a great fighter, and a great friend, nothing more.' _She growled in response to the statement by her psyche. She climbed the steps to her apartment and slammed the door behind her, making the shelves of the apartment rock slightly. There was no doubt that some of her neighbors were now awake. She ripped her clothes off, leaving only her bra and panties. She then quickly slipped into her warm and soft bed before drifting off to a welcomed sleep.

She awoke resting against something warm and firm. She felt her hand caress the smoothness of the person's tanned skin, stopping momentarily over his defined abs. She rose her head to find the face of Naruto smiling warmly at her. His long blonde hair falling partially over his face. She did nothing but stare into his deep blue eye, before bending down to kiss him softly on the lips. She felt his arms wrap gently around her waist as they shared a passionate kiss. She felt happy. Warm. At peace. Content. Many feelings, all of them good. She felt the urge to stay like that forever, in his warm and strong embrace. However, she was jolted from her dream by a bird chirping loudly right outside her window. She breathed deeply, the realization of her feelings hitting her like a train.

"I love him… I love Naruto." She whispered.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, sorry if it was a little boring. I felt like I needed to start the fall through of Naruto's feelings for Hinata. Review, if you can. It would be cool and stuff. Well, see ya next time.

-Cetsibius


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